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By ADAM BEAM - Associated Press - Friday, November 21, 2014

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) - With an eye toward 2016, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul sought to find a balance Friday between opposing President Barack Obamas executive orders on immigration and his efforts to grow the Republican partys base with minority groups.

Obama announced Thursday that he would be delaying the deportation of up to 5 million people who are in the country illegally. Most of those are people who have been in the country illegally for more than five years but have had children born in the United States, and thus are U.S. citizens.

Paul, like most Senate Republicans, has opposed Obamas orders. But Paul said Friday his opposition is about a president abusing his power, not about immigration reform.

If Obama decided to unilaterally lower taxes. Id be saying the same thing, Paul told reporters after a speech to law students at Northern Kentucky University. People understand what the issue is and the issue isnt really so much the subject as it is whether the president can create law.

Paul has made a point of trying to grow the Republican base. In a highly publicized speech to the National Urban League earlier this year, he advocated for restoring the voting rights of some convicted felons and eliminating the sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine. The ideas are part of a series of bills Paul has introduced designed to correct the racial imbalance in the countrys judicial system.

Opposing Obamas sweeping immigration reform could put Paul at odds with the nations growing Hispanic community, no matter how he phrases his positions. But Paul predicted once Republicans formally take control of the U.S. Senate in January, giving them control of both legislative bodies on Capitol Hill, an immigration reform bill would make it to Obamas desk.

As we pass immigration reform, people will finally look and say, Democrats promised us the moon and gave us nothing, Paul said.

Paul said a Republican-backed immigration reform bill would likely focus on expanding the visa program for people with advanced degrees who can come and work in the countrys growing technology industry.

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Paul balances immigration order, 2016 prospects